The 2001 FA Cup final was one of the main reasons Michael Owen won the Ballon d’Or, but one Arsenal player in that game was very good and he left Liverpool legend Stephen Gerrard.
Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-1 in the 2001 FA Cup final
Liverpool won the iconic high notes in the 2000-01 season, winning the League Cup champion, winning the UEFA Cup (renamed the UEFA Europa League), and overcame Arsenal in the FA Cup at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.
The victory over the gunners is primarily remembered in Owen’s performance. Owen was the best player in the world at the Barondoor Ceremony later that year.
Michael Owen’s Baron de or victory season | Liverpool and the UK |
|---|---|
exterior | 55 |
the goal | 31 |
assist | 8 |
Trophy | FA Cup, UEFA Cup, League Cup |
Gunners dominated the game mostly, thanks mainly to Robert Piers’ midfield, Patrick Vieira, Jill Grimandy and Freddie Lumberg. Lyonberg ultimately beat a deadlock of about 20 minutes from full time, and legendary Thierry Henry quickly missed the opportunity to go 2-0.
Owen hit a poor clearance to equalize, taking less than 10 minutes. Five minutes later, the comeback was completed as the striker fired a great finish over David Seaman after passing Tony Adams and Lead Dixon.
Owen was obviously selected for Man of the Match, but Jamie Carrager made it clear that such things were the dominance of Arsenal. Vieira’s performance shocked young Gerrard, so he talked about it for years afterwards.
Vieira said “it was as good as we saw it.”
In 2014, Carragher nominated Vieira with XI, the best foreign player in Premier League history, revealing he was surprised at how good the Liverpool team was at Millennium Stadium.
“The partnership with monster Emmanuel Petit was as good as we saw. His performance against Liverpool in the 2001 FA Cup final stands out.
“He was epic and didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Then in the dressing room, everyone kept saying, ‘How good was Vieira?’ Stephen Gerrard is still talking about the game as he made Vieira realize he has to climb several more levels to reach the top.
“It says everything they hope to turn into the ‘next Vieira’ when the club signs the younger midfielder. ”
Vieira has made 405 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 32 goals and winning seven major trophies, including three Premier League titles.
Gerrard later confirmed his admiration for Gunners legend, and before his meeting as manager of Aston Villa and Crystal Palace, respectively, he said, “He is a man I have more praise and respect than anything else.”
Patrick Vieira in the photo
“I had a lot of fights against Patrick, some highs, some lows. He was certainly a player you could really go and compete with.
“He’s one of the toughest fights I’ve ever faced in terms of being a top and top footballer and being a player, and I think the same thing is from the side. I know he’s the winner.”
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And the Liverpool star clearly learned a thing or two from his encounter in the finals. Because he actually boasts a head-to-head record in a match with Vieira, winning a 7, drawing a 3 and losing a 5.
There is no doubt that the pair were the heartbeat of their club and were two great midfielders in Premier League history.